NPR: Linkfest: The Aztec 'Whistles Of Death'

Linkfest: The Aztec 'Whistles Of Death'

Tricia McKinney and a Whistle of Death.

Roberto Velazquez, an archaeologist in Mexico, has spent a lifetime recreating the pre-Columbian sounds of so-called "Whistles of Death." The instruments have often been found in the hands of the dead, leading some to think they were played before human sacrifices. But healers may have used them to put people into trances in an effort to treat illness. Either way, the whistles make an amazing racket.

It's the Most.

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Laura Conaway

7:21 AM ET | 07- 1-2008 | permalink

Comments

Wow what a great article! As a musician I'm fascinated by the history of sounds and how different cultures use & have used music differently. That death whistle certainly has an eerie sound to it - and the fact that no-one knows exactly was its purpose gives it a very unique quality. Thanks for such a great segment!

Sent by Dan Kovalcik | 11:30 AM ET | 07-01-2008

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